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Overview of Qualifications Reports

Deciding which national qualifications to develop

Students studying.

The publication of these Overviews is one of several steps in SQA’s process of developing new National Qualifications to support Curriculum for Excellence.

The Overview of Qualifications publications outline the list of subjects that fall within each curriculum area and the suites of Courses that will be developed.

The suites of Courses have been decided following extensive research and engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

The suites list the names of the subjects (for example Physics, French, Geography), the levels at which qualifications will be developed (for example National 5 or Higher), and the type of qualification that will be developed (for example an Award or a Course).

The Overview of Qualifications Report also gives details of the scope of the curriculum area, skills, progression, and learning and teaching approaches. Qualifications will be developed in line with the broad vision set out in the Overview publication.

How the list of Courses has been decided

The decision on which subjects to include has been taken following extensive research and targeted engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

Uptake levels for each existing subject have been considered, as well as the level and location at which the qualification is commonly studied. The list may include new subjects and some subjects may be rationalised or consolidated into a general Course.

Each Overview of Qualifications publication has been informed by the Progress Reports which have been published for each curriculum area.

The Progress Reports summarise the findings and conclusions of SQA’s research and engagement with stakeholders and give recommendations on the scope, skills and issues within each curriculum area.

Next steps

Our Qualifications Design Teams (QDTs) will take forward the recommendations into the design of qualifications for each subject listed in the Overview publication. A QDT will be set up for each subject.

A feedback facility is available on our website for you to give your thoughts and comments on the development. To keep up-to-date with the latest Curriculum for Excellence news and reports, you can sign up for MyAlerts which provides notification of updates to our web pages at www.sqa.org.uk/HaveYourSay.

You can view the Overviews using the links below: